Charles d



(NoModeL) G. D. TISDALB.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 382,741. Patented'Mgiy 1 5,--1 88 8..'

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE-f CHARLES n. TISDA'LE, on BOSTON, MAssAoHUsETrs, Assien'on TO HIMSELF AND JOHN 1). GOULD, on SAME PLACE.

. RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,741, dated May 15, 1888. Application filed May 2-1, 1887. Serial No. 939,531. (No model.)

To aZZl whom it may concern.- Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. TISDALE,

of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, .have invented a new and Improved Railway-Signal, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed'drawings, forming a part thereof, in which v. I

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved semaphore. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line as x in Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken'on line 3 y in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. V

The object of my invention isto construct a simple and effective railway-semaphore to be operated by a weight under control of an electro-magnet.

My invention consists in the combination, with a hollow post adapted to contain the operating mechanism of the semaphore, of a shaft journaled in the post and provided with a scape-wheel and barrel, a cord wound upon 2 5 the barrel and provided with a weight for turning the shaft, a lever provided with an armature and with pallets adapted to engage the teeth of the scape-wheel, an electro-magnet supported in the hollow post and adapted to operate the escapement, a semaphore-arm attached to the end of the shaft projecting through the hollow post and provided with colored windows in opposite ends thereof, a lantern supported by the hollow post in posi tion to throw light through the windows of the semaphore-arm, and a removable handle for turning the shaft and winding the weight-cord, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the hollow post A, near the top thereof, is journaled a shaft, B, one end of which projects from the side of the post. Upon the said shaft B, within the post, is secured a scapewheel, 0, having two teeth, a, and upon the said shaft, adjoining the scape-wheel, is secured a drum, D. In the inner side of the scape-wheel, near the periphery thereof, is inserted a pin, b, to which is secured one end of a cord, E, which is wound around thedrum and. attached at the other end to the weight F. 50 Abovethe scape-wheel a right-angled lever, G, is pivoted to the side of the hollow post A,

above the shaft B and at one side thereof.

The right-angled lever G carries pallets c d,

adapted to engage the teeth a of-.the scapewheel in alternation, and to the horizontal arm 5 of the said lever G is attached an armature,H.

Above the armature H, and from a bar, I, ex

tending across the hollow post A, is suspended an electro-magnet, J, whose polar extremity e is supported near the armature H, so that the said armature is always within the field of the electro magnet. The terminals f f ofithe' magnet are connected with the line-wire, battery, and the key of a distant po nt;

To the end of the shaft B, projecting through the side of the hollow post A, is secured a semaphorearm, K, having transverse apertures 9 near opposite ends, to which are fitted the colored windows h. To the side of the post A is secured a bracket, L, which supports a lantern, M, in position to throw a lightthrough one of the windows It whenthe semaphore-arm K is in a horizontal position. In the semaphore-arm K is formed an aperture,

11, for receiving a handle, j, by which the cord E is wound. w

The operation of my improved semaphore is as follows: When no current passes through the magnet J, the pallet c engages one of the .escapement-teeth, a, which retains the'shaftB 8 in such a position as to hold the semaphorearm K horizontally,indicating 5 danger by its position in the daytime, and indicating f dang'er at night by causingvthe colored light to be emittedfrom the lantern by virtue of the cov- 8 ering of the lantern'byv the window h, carried by the semaphore-arm. When it is desired to display a safety-signal, the circuit of the elec- V tro-magnet J is closed, thereby causing the said magnet to lift the armatnre H and diseno gage the pallet c from the escapement-tooth a,

and at the same time'to bring the pallet dinto the path of the said tooth, when the weight F turns the shaftB through aquarter of a revolution through the medium of the cord E, 5

bringing the semaphore arm K into avertical position, thereby indicating safety in the daytime by its position and at night by displaying a white light in the lantern. So long as I the circuit remains closed the safety sign-al is displayed; but as soon as it is opened the armature is released, and by its own gravity turns the lever G, releasing the pallet d from the tooth a of the scape-wheel, allowing the succeeding tooth to engage the pallet c as the shaft B is turned under the influence of the weight F, thereby holding the semaphore-arm again in a horizontal position,indicating danger. It will thus be seen that whenever the armature H is released from the magnet J, eitherby the signal-man or by accident, the danger-signal is displayed. The pin 1), to which the cord E is attached, is arranged in such a position relative to the semaphore-arm K as to cause the said semaphore-arm to assume a horizontal position when the weight runs down, thereby indicating danger until the semaphore is rewound. The rewinding is accomplished by inserting the handle j in the opening 1' of the semaphorearm and turning the said semaphore-arm in areverse direction, the pallet c acting as a pawl for engaging the scape-wheel teeth a and preventing the shaft B from turning until the lever G is again actuated by the electro-magnet.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure .by Letters Patent- 1. In a semaphore signal device, the combi- -nation,with a shaft and means for turning the same, of a semaphore-arm projecting equally in opposite directions from the said shaft, and an escapemcnt connected directly with the semaphore-shaft and arranged to limit the rotary movements of the shaft to a quarter of a revolution, substantially as described.

2. In a semaphore signal device, the combination of a hollow post, a weight-operated shaft journaled therein, a scape-wheel carried by the shaft, electro-magnetically-operated pallets arranged to engage and release the scapewheel, a semaphorcarm attached to the shaft projecting equally in opposite directions from the shaft, and provided with windows in opposite ends thereof, and a lantern supported opposite the path of the windows of the semaphore-arm, substantially as described.

3. In a semaphore signal device, the combinatiomwith the hollow post A, of the shaft B, provided with the drum D and two toothed scape-wheel C, the cord E and weight F, the angled lever G, provided with the pallets c d, the armature H, attached to the said lever G, the electro-magnet J, adapted to operate the armature H, the semaphore-arm K, attached to the shaft B and provided with the colored windows 71, and the lantern M, supported opposite the path of the windows h, substantially as described.

4. In a semaphore signal device, the combination,with the shaft B, scape-wheel O, drum D, cord E, and weight F, of the pin Z), placed at an angle of ninety degrees with the semaphore-arm K, substantially as described.

CHARLES D. TISDALE. W'itnesses:

GEORGE L. WnNTwoRTH, EDGAR R. CHAMPLIN. 

